Bleeding Rain
by Sarudoshi
Summary: for as long as he could remember, he wished that someone wasn't afraid of him, afraid of his strength or his temper. so when he meets a transfer student from Osaka, this might be the one person that isn't afraid of him... this might be the one person that can love him. ShizuOC, rated mostly for language and slight smut in future chaps. R&R plz!
1. Chapter 01

**DRRR! is copyright firstly to Narita Ryohgo; the only thing i own is this fic and Miku. enjoy!**

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The day started out as any normal day: wake up, get dressed, go to school. _Endure_.  
Though why did lunch always have to be such a pain in the ass?

'**_FWHACK'_**.

Another nick to the cheek.

Seriously, she had to pick when and when to **NOT** open her big mouth.

"Still got something to say, bitch?" The more popular girl –and her current puncher—Nakamura Reika demanded snidely, watching the petite girl she'd been unleashing her angst on stumble against the shaded wall, a sneer on her lip-gloss-painted lips; her two girlfriends, Haruka and Yuri, jeered and snickered at either side of her as they looked at the pitiful excuse for an exchange student.

The girl from Osaka had been having a temporarily-calm lunch hour sitting by herself atop the roof of Raira Academy, her new school she had just transferred to from her hometown Osaka; of course Tokyo was bigger and more intimidating than the sea-side city she had called home for fifteen years, but in Osaka she had been taught to defend herself. Taught to fight by her big brother.

The girl was just letting them think they had her down.

She wasn't born yesterday, and she sure as hell would never bow down to the preliminary-prostitutes these 'popular girls' imposed on the girls in her year.

The boy looked over at the scene from his post at the far end of the rooftop, having eaten lunch with his elementary-school friend that was the biggest science nerd he'd ever met, let alone befriended: sometimes he wondered just how and why he had ever become friends with the bespectacled boy.

He felt the slightest hitch in his chest at seeing the new girl get bullied; of course, being raised to never strike a girl but to aid a damsel, he felt compelled to step in.

A nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him one simple word: '_wait_'.

And wait he did… though not for long.

Spitting out a thin wad of blood from the corner of her mouth, the cobalt-haired first year opened one baby blue eye up at her offenders' sneering grins.

_Those faces sickened her_.

"Actually, I do." She spoke in a surprisingly-calm and collected voice, her tone the essence of peace, as she gingerly rose to her feet, standing her full height of five-two before the faces of those girls.

Those girls she loathed.

Nakamura smirked. "What's that, hn?" She wondered.

The sole of a black boot crashed into her nose, before she was seeing stars, sent flying back from the sharp kick of the bullied fifteen-year-old, and crashing into a wooden bench near the chain-link fence that covered the rectangular space of the rooftop.

"You fight like a pussy." She smirked lightly.

"E-eh, Reika-chan!?"

"R-Reika-chan, let's go!"

The two girls that were her best friends, her partners in crime, lifted the unconscious girl and struggled as they did, scrambling away downstairs to the nearest nurses' office.  
"**Bitch**!" They called as they went.

She grinned cheekily at their exit, the tension evaporating with that cheeky expression on her pretty face, before she exhaled and stooped to pick up her discarded and ruined lunch.

_Damn, stupid skanks, ruining a perfectly good sandwich_… She mentally tsked, ignoring the fact that her cobalt bangs were getting in the way.

A pair of feet stopped walking short of a foot away from her.  
"What, come for more…?" She dared wonder in a snide tone, looking up from her crouch to stare at the owner of the pair of feet; she blinked.

"You put up a good fight." The boy commented calmly, seeing the surprise register in her blue eyes that were a soft shade.

Her cheeks flared a slight hue of pink at his praise before she shrugged. "They weren't much of a threat." She mused, resuming picking up her things.

The boy had to give her credit for having a good kick, lifting up her discarded and bent bento box and presenting it to her eyesight. "So I guess you're the new girl from Osaka." He guessed, sliding one hand into the pockets of his uniform pants.

The girl smiled slightly at his aid, taking the box and tucking it under her arm as she straightened to throw away the ruined lunch. "Yeah, just transferred yesterday. Um, thanks for the help." She bowed a little and flashed a light smile up at the lanky boy.

A blonde? He couldn't have been a foreigner, if he could speak Japanese so well. He dyed it? It certainly did match his brown eyes nicely.

"No big deal. What's your name?" He wondered.

She kept the smile. "Kazamura Miku, but Miku is fine. What's yours?" She replied, tilting her head to one side.

He'd never been with a girl, let alone gone out with one, but he would bite that the head-tilt was cute. "Heiwajima Shizuo; s' easier to call me Shizuo." He shrugged.

"So 'Shizuo-kun', then. Nice to meet ya," she winked.

He smiled slightly, inwardly baffled as well as pleased to find one girl that didn't fear him… She _must_ be new, otherwise she would have already heard of his monstrous strength, his temper…

"Hey, Shizuo, lunch is almost over!" Both teenagers blinked simultaneously when the voice of his bespectacled friend called out to him, interrupting the calmness between them.

He grimaced slightly and sent a scowl over his shoulder at the boy. "Idiot…" He grumbled.

"Is that your friend?" She asked, turning his attention back to her and her curious blue eyes.

He nodded and exhaled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Regrettably. Don't take this the wrong way, but… you wanna share my lunch?" She blinked in confusion, making a slight reddening of his cheeks flare. "Ya don't have to if ya don't want to, I was just askin'…" He stumbled over his words, looking away as the reddening of his cheeks deepened.

"Geez, you musta read my mind! Haha, but sure." She chuckled, perking his ears.

He looked at her again, not believing what he heard, the blush deepening again when he looked at that light smile that adorned her lips; that hitch in his chest he felt earlier resurfaced when he took note of the various scratches and narrow cuts she had on her pretty face, something in the back of his mind hating those girls that bullied her.

Without another word, he nodded and led the way to where his friend was sitting.

She followed at his heels, poking her head around his back at seeing the bespectacled nerd, noting his wispy brown hair and the strangely-kind look on his face.

"We saw the fight, you were really brave! Oops, I forgot to tell you my name; it's Kishitani Shinra! Nice to meet you." He smiled brightly.

She smiled faintly and sat down near the lanky blonde, nodding her head. "Thanks, it wasn't much; my name's Kazamura Miku, and likewise. I'm sorry if it disturbed your lunches." She chuckled weakly.

"No, not at all! To be honest, you fought amazingly; it was almost like watching Shizuo-kun duke it out… O-ow, Shizuo-kun!" He yelped when his friend cuffed him over the head reproachfully, a scowl on his stern brow.

"Dumbass, just finish payin' her a compliment and shut your mouth." He growled.

He rubbed his head gingerly. "Aww come on, it's not like she doesn't know!" He whined.

She tilted her head to one side. "What about?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about." He declared, waving it off absently and handing her a piece of his sandwich.

She blinked at seeing his offering and smiling kindly, taking the piece and chewing. "It's good!" She chuckled, smiling sheepishly.  
The reddening in his cheeks returned to make them look pink before he coughed awkwardly and looked away.

**–****_DRRR!—Seven Years Later_****-**

Even against the thundering beating of the bass at the DJ's booth, he had to admit this was a quiet night.

His brown eyes surveyed the moving bodies of the crowd, many of them loyal patrons to the club he had started bartending at just short of a few months ago.

A head of cobalt hair maneuvered through the throngs, coming up to the bar counter and nimbly situating themselves on a high stool.  
"What can I get you?" He asked the new face.

"Cuba Libre." The girl answered, her tone a little sullen.

After getting the drink order, he handed it to her; he had to do a double take when looking at the face he had just given the coke-and-rum drink to.

After seven years, three of them hanging with her whenever he wasn't chasing and putting up with the bane of his existence, he didn't believe she had stayed in Ikebukuro, instead believing that she had returned to the sea-side city of Osaka, her hometown, was Kazamura Miku sitting right infront of him.

Of course those seven years had matured her, made her baby-fat slowly wane and become erased from the face of a young woman, and she had cut her hair, abandoning the mid-back-length she used to have it in during high school for a winged bob that made her bangs shaggy and framed her pretty face nicely.

But something was wrong; he could tell, nearly automatically, it seemed.

The bottom rims of her baby-blue eyes were puffy, and if he had to guess, it was from crying.

That old feeling in his chest, that hitch he got whenever he saw her in worse shape than he would've liked, resurfaced right then and there as he saw the puffiness in her eyes, the sullen and sad glint that showed in her face.

"Bad break-up?" He wondered.

She sipped the mixed drink absently, nodding. "Yeah, how'd you guess?" She wondered wryly.

He inwardly flinched at hearing such a bitter tone come from his high-school friend. "Not to sound cheap or corny, but I can see it in your eyes."

She hummed and smirked slightly. "Didn't know I was that transparent. Can I tell you something?" She wondered.

"Spill." He shrugged, making a show of wiping down the polished wood counter near her drink absentmindedly.

"He's an asshole-motherfucker. Dumped me because of some bullshit term like 'I love all humans, not just you'. Was too heartbroken to land a punch in his ass-kissing face." She growled out, taking a long sip of her drink.

He nodded, his anger boiling beneath the surface at hearing such a thing; what kind of jackass would dump Miku? Was he nuts? Of course he never got up the nerve to ask her out in high school; the few and far guys that took a shine to the blue-eyed Osaka girl usually dumped her within a week or so because they were intimidated by a girl that could just as easily kick their ass as well as kiss them on the cheek.

"Miku?" He asked, his mouth working before he could even register what the hell he had just done.

She looked up from taking a generous sip of her drink at the mention of her name, meeting his baffled brown eyes: her eyes widened in recognition when she looked at the shock of shaggy blonde locks that adorned his head and framed his chiseled face nicely. "S-Shizuo-kun?" She gaped.

A pleased and happy light shone in his brown eyes at her recognition. "Been a while, huh?" He wondered.

A happy-yet-sad smile adorned her lips. "Yeah, really. What's it been, four years?" She asked.

His smile faltered a little. "Four, yep." He nodded.

She laughed softly, bitterly, lifting a hand to run slender fingers through her shaggy bangs. "Fuck, um, I feel like a dumbass for just spilling my guts to you, right now." She smiled weakly up at him.

"I'm a bartender, s' kind of what I'm used to listening to. Only difference is that most of the people who spill their guts are usually drunk guys or really wasted skanks." He shrugged again. "You're still sober."

She chuckled and smiled again, looking sheepish. "Thanks for the compliment. God, it's been forever!" Another giggle, though he had to wonder if the rum was starting to talk the second time around. "Have you been doing this gig long?" She wondered, gesturing to the drink set before her.

He chuckled with her. "Nah, just a few months. Hopefully gonna keep this one longer than I have with other jobs in the past." His cheeks reddened a little at the thought of his fucked-up-temporary-gigs he'd had since leaving high school.

"Temper, temper," she hummed from above the rim of her glass, sipping again, a coy smile playing at her lips.

He felt his cheeks redden, earning the coy smile once more. "Piss off." He chided.

She giggled softly and smiled, sincere this time, reaching across the countertop to poke the tip of his nose. "Been going to college for 2D Animation." She offered.

His nose wrinkled, earning another soft giggle and teasing look. "Right on; how's that coming along?" He wondered.

"Dunno, does having the first chapter of my manga published last week count as good?" She returned, pulling her phone out from the pocket of her black leather jacket to open up her photos, finding the photo of her printed chapter and presenting it to him.

He took the red flip-phone from her hand to study the detailed shonen picture of a girl carrying a katana over her shoulder and staring into the distance that showed on her phone's screen. "That's badass, it looks interesting." He handed the phone back.

She smiled proudly and closed the phone, putting it back in her pocket. "Damn right it is, I worked my ass off just getting the storyboard right." She replied lightly.

"Oi, bartender!" A slurred-voiced man from the far end of the counter hollered.

Both of the old friends grimaced on reflex before said blonde grumbled a curse at his untimely intrusion. "Fucker. Look, um, I gotta get back to work. Sorry." He added, looking at her sheepishly.

She shrugged and extended her hand to put a few bills on the counter next to her glass. "No problem, I've gotta be going; got work tomorrow. Give me your number and I'll text you." She replied, smiling kindly.

That reddening in his cheeks appeared before he handed her his phone, watching her fingers glide over the keyboard as she gave him her number and then input his number into her address book, closing his phone in less than five minutes and handing it to him, clasping his hand and squeezing gently.

She smiled softly, warmly. "See you later, Shizuo." She winked, turning in the stool to hop down and shrug her purse strap over her shoulder, hands sliding into the pockets of her jacket, as she disappeared in the throngs of gyrating bodies and made her way to the exit.

Shizuo smiled after her, turning at last to the complaining patron to see just what the hell he wanted.

A sucker-punch-sandwich, maybe?

:::::::oO|Oo::::::

Rain poured on him.

Damn that flea.

Damn that motherfucking asswipe.

**Damn him!**

He just knew that bastard was responsible… he just knew he was the reason those cops had bum-rushed him like if he were a friggin' donut stand.  
**_Damn Orihara Izaya!_**

He was so wrapped up in his fuming thoughts that he didn't notice the rain had stopped pounding on his head.

Blinking once realizing this, he looked to see an umbrella shielded his head from getting pounded on by the onslaught of sky-tears, noting the Union Jack theme the shield had designed onto the outer layer.

"You look like shit." A familiar voice mused at his side, perking his ears.

He looked at the owner of the umbrella and met her calm blue eyes. "Miku." He saw her wink and smile softly.

"You can fill me in later; hungry? I'm buying." She guessed, tilting her head to one side.

Damn it all if he didn't blush at that cute head-tilt thing. It still made his cheeks redden, even after seven years!

"Yeah." He nodded, taking the umbrella from her hand and letting her walk at his side to that restaurant called Russia Sushi.

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**this was just a trial run, so any critiques/ comments will be greatly appreciated! thanks a mil in advance~ /bows ;'D **


	2. Chapter 02

**Durarara! in its entirety is copyright to Narita Ryohgo; Miku belongs to me.**

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She paused in taking a sip from the cup of _sake_ in her hand, quirking a brow at the clear drink. "No wonder I didn't fully trust him; glad we broke up." She muttered, taking a generous sip.

He popped the piece of salmon into his mouth, chewing angrily. "Damn that bastard-asshole-fucker," he grumbled.

The rain had slowed down considerably outside, a relief to the both of them, while they dried off inside the confines of the sushi restaurant.  
"So what'll you do for work, now?" She wondered when most of their meal was finished, having put aside the _sake_ bottle and cup and now looking at him.

He shrugged. "I'll think of something. Is your gig still going strong?" He replied, looking up at her from running a hand through his blonde hair.

She nodded. "Yeah, almost done with the first volume and I just started on the second one. My publisher loves my work." She admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Good to hear otherwise I'd prolly have to go kick his ass if he hated it." He mused wryly.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, smirking at him. "Play nice! It's a wonder you survive high school actin' like that." She teased gently.

He smirked back, sighing and settling into his seat, placing his hands in the pockets of his pants out of habit. "Thanks for the food, Miku." He added quietly.

She shrugged aimlessly. "Wasn't a big deal, I kinda owed it to you anyway." She mused.

He lifted a brow. "What for?"

"For listening to my grievances last time we met." She admitted, looking down and running a hand through her still-shaggy bangs. "Who knew I'd end up spilling my guts to you right after breaking up with that jerk?" She chuckled weakly.

Shizuo quieted and noted the dimming in her blue eyes he never liked to see and the same sad glint appear in her pretty face he had once seen covered with nicks and cuts the first day they met seven years ago. "Look, don't beat yourself up; y'didn't know that he'd be a jackass…" He mused.

He'd never been very good at comforting a girl, so he only hoped she wouldn't start crying.

"You're right, I didn't know. I was stupid to think he was real, to think he was different than the bastards I dated in school…" She muttered.

"Miku." He reached across the table to take her hand, surprising both him and her, before his fingers squeezed her smaller hand gently, a far cry from how he would grip a lamp-post or stop-sign when it came to that bastard-asshole. "You're not stupid. It's guys like him and the cowards you went out with that are fucking retarded. Not you, alright? Not by a friggin' long shot." He stated firmly.

"Shizuo," she murmured in surprise, blushing prettily at his reassuring statement and the tight-yet-gentle grip he had on her hand; her face softened and she smiled wryly, squeezing his hand in response. "Thanks, Shizuo. I'm glad to have a good friend like you." She admitted, smiling again.

His cheeks reddened out of habit at seeing that last smile, smiling wryly. "Don't mention it." He mused.

Even though he was happy she wasn't crying and was smiling instead, that hitch in his chest appeared at hearing that he was only seen as a good friend. There was something, that same something that wanted to step in and save her from getting bullied that first day they met, that wanted her to think he was more than just a good friend.

But who was he kidding? She needed a man that could support himself, and her in the long run, a man that didn't lose control of his temper and breathtaking strength when the smallest thing pissed him off, a man that wouldn't hurt her in the middle of his tantrum.

The two friends said their goodbyes when deeming their time together was up, parting ways as Miku headed down Sunshine 60 and Shizuo lingered on the corner infront of Russia Sushi.

The next time she would see him would be in two years' time.

_**–DRRR!—Two Years Later—**_

Well damn it all.

Of all days to get a case of art block, it _just __**had**_ to be two weeks before the first chapter of her second volume was to be turned in to her publisher.

_Fuck_, she thought, staring at the rough draft of her storyboard for what felt like the millionth time within five minutes.

Running slender fingers through her cobalt bangs, she knotted them in the locks and growled under her breath, setting the computer screen with a steely glare.

Fine, she would just get out for some fresh air. Yeah, that's what she needed. Fresh air did wonders.  
_Unless you're on the verge of obtaining early gray from stress_.

A soft meow sounded as a waif-of-a-feline ball of black and orange fur hopped onto the small amount of vacant space on the right side of her black desk, said feline nuzzling up to her cheek affectionately, asking for attention.

With a quiet sigh she pulled the cat into her lap, scritching lazily at the left side of her neck, a favorite spot the cat loved to scratched at, said pet inclining her head up, eyes sliding closed in bliss.

"You're lucky you don't have to deal with this bullshit, Rin; let alone you not having thumbs." Miku mused aloud, looking down at the bobtailed feline in her lap.

Rin opened one green eye up at her, purring softly as if to encourage her to keep scritching.

She smiled patiently and held the cat to her chest before lifting her onto the desktop and setting her there. "I'll be back in a bit, 'kay? Not all of us have clear heads like you, Rin-chan." She added to the slightly baffled and hurt expression that crossed her companion's face.

She mewed, seeming to pout, watching the twenty-four-year-old lift out of her chair to grab her red jacket from the back of the couch not even forty feet away from the computer station, shrugging it on and looking at the couch to see her personal sketchbook adorned with various band stickers on the cover; snatching the book, she tucked a pencil behind her left ear out of reflex and tossed the book into her bag before making sure her keys and cell phone were in her pocket, fiddling with the locks on her apartment door and then stepping out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

Rin meowed quietly.

::::::::xD|Dx:::::::

The fountain water shot up from the large pond in the center of South Ikebukuro Park like geysers.

She studied the various small huddles of school girls poised here or there in the park, most of them she noted on their phones or gossiping away about whatever mundane thing was ailing their little worlds.

Glad to be free of such problems, she looked down at the lightly-sketched thumbnails of people she had stolen a look of that passed by her as she sat on the bench with her purse in her lap and her sketchbook placed atop the bag, pencil in her left hand.

If she had to be honest with herself, the term "art block" wasn't really what had stopped her from finalizing that storyboard on her computer screen. "Lazy" was the better and more preferred –even though its truth did sting just a smidge—term.

Some days she wanted to give up with her gig and just find work downtown… Maybe at a book store or something. Some place she didn't have to deal with a lot of people.

But there was always that nagging voice in the back of her head, the voice that told her this is what she had been wanting since the age of nine, the voice that told her she would be the biggest dumbass in the world if she up and mothballed this gig.

Of course after mulling over what that voice told her, she deemed it wise to keep her current job and not give up. The pay was good, aside from the royalties she received from every copy sold off the shelves of each and every book store in Tokyo, her publisher was strict but he wasn't a total asshole, and she did happen to love her apartment and her bike.

After achieving the dream she'd kept since her childhood, she couldn't give up. Not now, not ever.

It was as simple as that.

She looked down at her sketchbook to see she'd drawn the thumbnail of a katana on the bottom of the page; her eyes softened slightly and she lifted her pencil to add details and refine the lines, making sure to keep it looking pretty.

After finishing the small doodle, she shut the book and put it back in her bag along with the pencil, shrugging her bag's strap over her shoulder as she stood and left the bench plus view of the pond's geyser-like-fountains, heading to the nearest dango kiosk.

Once stabilizing her motive again, she felt a treat was in order.

She smiled kindly at the woman working the kiosk after obtaining the treat, turning to make her way back to her complex with one hand in the pocket of her red jacket, the dango stick held in her dominant hand.

Her thoughts traveled to the jacket she had donned religiously whenever she stepped out of the apartment, and on occasions when it was cold, a sad smile forming on her lips as she chewed on a particularly sweet ball.

It was only a year since her brother passed away, having left behind his jacket and a portable pocket-knife for his kid sister with the message '_fight for what you love; love ya little sis, Heisuke-nii_' tucked in the right pocket of the article of clothing.

Of course it was Heisuke who had trained her, Heisuke, who had taught her since the age of twelve, in self-defense and the occasional kick-boxing or karate lesson thrown into the mix. Heisuke, her big brother, an instructor at a hole-in-the-wall studio in the "lesser-side" part of Osaka with a masters' degree in public relations and social sciences and a killer grin that made girls swoon.

Her days seemed to be filled with rain after that night she got the phone call from her mother back home, saying he had overdosed on some painkiller med.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts to look down at the last remaining sweet ball on the dango stick; she pulled it off and popped it into her mouth, chewing absently, looking around to see she was close to her complex.

The distant sound of grunts of pain perked her ears; she blinked and halted, looking to the direction the sound came from.

Curiosity beginning to settle in and egg her to go see what the commotion was, she sighed and turned to run towards the sounds.  
She skidded to a halt short of the alleyway entrance, her blue eyes focusing on a streak of blonde that was flinging guys this way and that, most of them she noted were thugs or gangbangers.

_Shizuo?_ She wondered, gently pushing her way past the thin row of people that had stopped to watch the street brawl to get closer to the front.

Her eyes sharpened alertly when she noted a familiar raven-haired informant watching the scene with amused eyes. "Izaya." She murmured in slight confusion.

_Did he start this? Is he the reason Shizuo's fighting those morons…?_ She thought back to that night in the rain two years ago, when he told her the reason he'd been kicked from his bartending gig; her hand curled around the stick that once held the sweet dango she'd downed, tightening on reflex.

The aforementioned informant smiled lightly at the scene he'd created, lifting a hand in farewell. "Well, have fun!" He started to run off before sensing the air at the left side of his head still, signaling something was being thrown at him; left hand lifting up on reflex, he caught a long toothpick-looking stick between his index and middle finger.

He blinked his garnet eyes at the thrown projectile.

That was strange; the only person he knew of, besides himself, who could throw knives was…

"**And where do you think you're going**?" A low and cold female voice wondered behind him.

The surprise she didn't see mar his smooth face faded quickly to be replaced with arrogance; a smirk played at his lips. "Well, this is a surprise. I was wondering when I'd see you again, Miku." He hummed lightly.

After beating down the last gangbanger into a coma, the blonde froze at hearing her name spoken by that flea; he looked up in slight surprise to see that his enemy wasn't just saying her name to get a rise out of him, that she was actually standing there in the middle of the street.

With a pocket-knife in hand.

Her blue eyes bore holes into his retreating back. "It's been a while. Last time I saw you was when you dumped my ass flat on the ground two years ago. I forgot to pummel that snide grin of yours into your damn nose back then." She ground out.

Orihara Izaya chuckled, looking over his shoulder at the stony face she wore, cobalt bangs still framing her face in that nice way he once claimed he loved, blue eyes that were once soft and gentle now as cold as an iceberg. "You're still hung up on that, then, aren't you? I told you before, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep telling you that until it gets through that hard head of yours, babe;** I love all humans, not just you**." He knew those words had once stabbed her in the heart as if he'd been the one to do it with his knife; her reaction now would probably be no different than it was the first time he said it.

"Don't **ever** call me that, you ass-kissing fucker. I didn't throw the toothpick at you just for target practice; I came to kick your ass like I shoulda done two years ago." She snarled frostily.

Izaya laughed this time. "Resorting to violence, just like Shizu-chan! Really now, it wouldn't surprise me if you two were together, given that he always wanted to protect you from me back in high school. Honestly though, Miku-chan, what would your brother think if he saw you on the arm of that monster~?" He glanced back at her.

Shizuo's lip curled angrily even though confusion clouded his gaze. Her brother… she didn't tell him about that. And just how did that flea know he had been keeping Miku away from him since day one?

Miku bristled angrily. "**Don't you dare bring him into this**! You've done enough damage to his life, Izaya, to my own as well! If you come near him again, I swear that I'll…" She snarled.

"You'll what, strangle me, rip my throat open with your brother's knife, beat my head into the concrete with your boots? Your homicide methods are totally **unoriginal**, Miku." He placed a hand on her cheek, surprising her as she hadn't seen him turn to get closer to her; his garnet eyes gleamed red.

She looked up at him in slight surprise.

"**_Take your fucking hand off her_**." A loud growl sounded before a long leg plunged into his gut, knocking him away from the girl.

Miku blinked when seeing the back of the lanky blonde standing infront of her, seeing he was toting a 'don't-enter' sign over his shoulder, fuming. "S-Shizuo," she began.

Izaya tsked, "Typical of you, Shizu-chan, acting like the monster you are and defending a girl that deep down is really just terrified of you… _Just like the rest of the human species_." He sighed, the pocket-knife still held in hand on reflex.

Shizuo glowered at him, his free hand extended out to block any harm from befalling the blue-eyed Osaka girl at his back. "Leave her alone, you **stupid**. **fucking**. **flea**!" He swung the sign at him, missing when the informant dodged nimbly and scampered off down the street. "**Hey, come back here! IZAYA**!" He shouted, making to go after him.

"Let him go." She advised quietly behind him, surprising the ex-bartender; he halted in mid-step, looking back to see she was looking down with her hands in her jacket's pockets.

That familiar hitch appeared in his chest at seeing the sad look on her pretty face, her shaggy bangs veiling her downcast blue eyes from his penetrating brown stare. "Miku," He began.

She smiled weakly when he spoke her name, lifting her gaze to see there was that familiar concern in his brown eyes she was used to seeing, chuckling softly. "Sorry for stepping in; habit. Um, I… I've gotta get back to work. Talk later, okay?" She smiled tightly for him before turning to retreat down the alley she'd come through, her hands fisting in the pockets of her jacket.

Shizuo stared at where she'd stood, swearing he could almost see tears coming from her eyes; he gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, growling under his breath.

Fuck, what had he done _now?_

He noted people were still standing around, bristling at the sight. "What the fuck're you looking at? **Get lost**!" He snarled loudly, making the spectators jump and then scramble away from the scene.

He sighed… _He really needed a cigarette._

* * *

**reviews are well loved and thanks in advance~. ;')**


	3. Chapter 03

**Durarara! in its entirety belongs to Narita Ryohgo; Miku belongs to me.**

* * *

A soft growl of frustration escaped between her teeth as she hastily tapped the 'Ctrl-Z' buttons a couple of times on her black keyboard to erase the mistake she'd made on the finalized draft.

"Fuck," she grumbled, scowling at the screen and exhaling as she relaxed into her chair's back, placing her tablet on the desktop and lifting her hands to rub her eyes with the bottoms of her palms.

Rin meowed softly as she lifted her head up from the ball she'd tucked her body into, green eyes blinking lazily at her owner's frustration.

She aimlessly rubbed behind her left ear, looking at the draft she had finished three-fourths of. After getting home from her little run-in, she'd thrown herself into finishing the storyboard and now was almost finished with the final draft.

Her phone went off near the computer screen, the melody of "_You think I'm just as serious, I think you're full of shit, Blow Me One Last Kiss_" playing lightly in the room; she picked the phone up from the desktop, flipping it open and noticing that she'd gotten a text message.

_{U hungry? Russia Sushi's on me. – Shizuo Dx}_

She couldn't fight the small smile that formed on her lips, texting back.

_{Kk. Wanna meet there? – Miku ;)}_

He was getting good at texting.

_{Just open Ur door, dummy. – Shizuo Dx}_

She blinked at that message, closing her phone and hopping up from her chair, adjusting her black tank top's bottom hem and pulling the back of her jeans up, walking to answer the front door.

Rin meowed again as she trailed after her.

"What's with the surprise?" She wondered once opening the door and seeing his lanky form standing in the hall, cigarette in the corner of his lip and a hand in the pocket of his pants.

He rolled his eyes, having removed the shades and tucked them into the inside pocket of his vest, holding up a to-go bag for her to see. "S' good to see you, too. Might need glasses though, it's a pain in the ass to read those damn text messages." He replied, letting her usher him inside before closing the door behind his entrance; he blinked as he looked about her borderline-penthouse living room, noting the computer station near the back of room near the wide windows that were covered with the blinds to prevent the twilight sun from leaking in.

He whistled lowly. "My apartment looks like shit compared to this," he grated under his breath, toeing his shoes off in the foyer and letting her take the bag from his hand, leading him to the small kitchen to the side of the foyer.

"If the pay wasn't good, I wouldn't be living in this place. But aside from that, you didn't answer my question." She replied, opening the two Styrofoam boxes to see he'd ordered her favorite yellow tuna and cucumber rolls, handing him his box as she gave him his pair of chopsticks from inside the bag, sitting down at the barstool as he sat next to her on the partner stool.

"Just came to check on you. Y'seemed pretty upset earlier…" He trailed off as he noted her fingers tightened their grip on the chopsticks at the mention of the day's earlier events; he coughed awkwardly and popped a piece of salmon into his mouth, chewing. "Just eat." He muttered.

She smiled slightly at the food, nodding. "Thanks for looking out for me." She said softly before digging into her meal and saying no more.

She felt better once she'd had food, inwardly laughing as she mulled over the fact that she had intended to eat a microwave-cup of ramen for dinner, not expecting a visit plus dinner from her old friend.

"Thanks again for dinner; that was sweet of you." She thanked him again once putting the disposable containers plus chopsticks away in the trash can beneath the sink, straightening to see he had left the kitchen; she tilted her head to one side. "Shizuo?" She poked her head out of the kitchen.

"So this is what a manga looks like before it's published." He said thoughtfully from behind her desk; she blinked before hurrying to her desk, skidding to a halt to see he was stooped over the computer screen, looking at her work with curiosity and something she could only assume was child-like interest.

Her cheeks flared pink and she smiled a little, rubbing her neck. "Yeah, well, the finalization isn't done just yet… I still need to finish that part…" She offered shyly.

"Y'know, not that I'm used to reading this stuff, but your art is really badass." Shizuo added, looking at her as she stood to the side.

Miku blushed again, cheeks turning a shade of reddish pink, before she looked away. "G-geh, um, thanks, Shizuo." She mumbled, blinking when she felt the cat rub against her left leg; she smiled down at her and watched her turn to hop onto her desktop, nuzzling her cheek into his arm.

He blinked at feeling the furry cheek, looking at the black-and-orange bobtailed feline before sweatdropping. "Since when did you turn into a cat lady?" He asked, scritching absently at the right side of the cat's neck, seeing her purr and rub against him again.

She smiled again, shrugging. "Found her when I first moved in; she was clean of anything when I took her to the vet the next day, so I decided to keep her and named her 'Rin'." She replied.

He noted the smile and softening of her eyes, looking at the detailed fight scenes on the draft she'd been working on and thinking back to earlier. "So are you okay, from earlier?" He wondered in a quiet voice.

She looked at him to see his eyes were on her computer screen; her gaze lowered as she remembered the earlier events of the day, shrugging aimlessly. "I've been through worse… But what about you?" She asked, looking at him again.

He huffed quietly. "I still wanna kill that fucking flea and beat him into his grave." He growled.

She nodded, looking at the black polish on her fingernails. "I'm sorry I stopped you from chasing him, and for getting in the way…" She mused.

"You didn't need to know about what he said about me protecting you from him. I only did it so the problems he came with didn't reach you." He interjected in the same quiet voice.

Miku quieted and lifted a hand to run slender fingers through her bangs. "I had a feeling you were doing that, though. I'm not upset about it, it was too long ago to be upset over, really." She smiled slightly, going to the kitchen to get a bottle of soda from the fridge.

"Can I ask you something?" Shizuo asked, perking her ears when she returned from the kitchen to see he was standing by her couch, his back leaning against it a little, his hands in the pockets of his pants once again; his brown eyes were on her.

"Shoot." She shrugged, moving to place the bottle on her desktop before returning to talk with him.

"What that flea said, about callin' me a monster… Is that what you think about me?" He watched her freeze in saving her work on the computer, finger poised over the 'Ctrl-S' buttons. "Do you think I'm a monster… are you afraid of me too?" He asked quietly, cautiously, thinking back to that night she'd met him after being sprung from the police department for being framed, the night he deemed he didn't deserve to be anything more to her than a good friend. "Miku?"

She saved her work, straightening and stroking Rin's head gently. "For someone who hates his very existence, it's surprising to hear you refer to what he said in an insult…" She mused.

"**Miku**." He said her name a little harder, seeing her cringe slightly at his tone; her shoulders relaxed and she exhaled steadily, looking up at his brown eyes.

A soft smile formed on her lips. "I don't care if you're a monster. I'm not afraid of you, Shizuo. To be honest, even if you are what he said you are, I'll still be here for you. Between the two of you, you… you're the only one I can trust, the only one I know won't hurt me or break my heart." She blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling. "Wow, I just sounded really cheesy…" She chided herself.

He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders; his face softened and he chuckled as well, pulling away from the couch to move closer to her. "Nah, you said it right. I'm glad though, that you're better. Of course I'm still gonna beat the shit outta that fucking flea, but to know you're doing alright…" He lifted a hand to gingerly brush some of her shaggy bangs back, surprising both him and her at his suddenly tender gesture.

Then again, he'd been soft on her ever since he'd seen her fight those girls back in high school, so this was something overdue.

She blushed softly before looking away humbly, smiling. "Honestly, I'm glad you're around. I really am." She admitted.

He smiled back, both of them blinking when his phone went off in his pocket; he growled a curse and pulled it out, turning away from her to answer. "Yeah?" He was pissed that some idiot had the nerve to interrupt their conversation, their moment…

'_You coming in? We've got a late gig_.' His boss's voice, Tanaka Tom, asked on the other line, sounding bored.

Inwardly cursing, he sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming." He replied, closing the phone and scowling at the orange device before putting it away.

"Work?" She guessed, tilting her head to one side.

He smiled thoughtfully at that cute head-tilt thing, nodding and sighing. "Yeah, I've gotta go. Sorry." He added, tousling her hair gently and turning to head out the door. "I'll text you later…" He paused when he felt her wrap her arms around his waist from behind, that reddening of his cheeks returning to make them burn pink as his hand was mere inches away from opening the door.

"It's alright. Thanks for looking out for me, though, I mean it. I doubt I'd be standing here if you weren't there to protect me… Thank you, Shizuo." She said quietly, hugging his waist before letting go reluctantly.

_He still wished to be in her arms_.

Shizuo nodded, keeping her from seeing the blush on his cheeks, as he opened the door and stepped out into the hall. "See you around, Osaka prizefighter." He smirked gently at calling her by the old nickname she'd earned in high school.

Miku blushed and saw the hint of pink fading from his cheeks, smiling wryly at him as he exited to the elevator; she chuckled softly and closed the door, locking it before going to get into her pajamas and finish that draft.

::::::o|o::::::

'_This is looking great, Kazamura-chan! You can definitely expect to see it in the shelves next month_.' Her publisher, Harada Genzo, declared on the other line.

She beamed and would've danced in her spot waiting to get her groceries bagged. "Really? Thanks a lot, Harada-san, I'm glad you like it." She replied lightly, pulling out a few bills to pay for her groceries to the cashier.

'_It's no trouble, especially to be working with a gifted artist like you, Kazamura. The storyboard for the first chapter of volume three is due at the end of November, think you can do it?_' He wondered.

She smiled lightly at the cashier and took her things, shrugging the plastic strap up to her wrist. "I'll get on it ASAP; I've already got an idea in mind for the first chapter." She assured.

'_Great to hear! In that case, I'll let your creative mind think; until tomorrow, Kazamura-chan_.' Harada sounded like a grinning idiot on the other line before hanging up.

Miku smiled to herself as she reached her bike, tucking her grocery bag on the seat infront of her as she twisted the key in the ignition, the bike purring to life before she exited the parking lot of the small strip mall and headed into the bustling street traffic of Ikebukuro.

"Oi, Simon, yer not listening to a word I said, are ya!?" A familiar bark sounded nearby; she pulled the bike to the side, noting the flow of the pedestrians and looking to see a familiar blonde throwing a bike at said Russian sushi advertiser.

She rolled her eyes, sweatdropping when Simon put up against his strength with equally-strong will that would have probably surprised her had she not known him well by this point; she sighed. "And here I thought you were beating down a stupid debtor," she mused aloud as she brought the bike to a halt a few twenty feet away from the struggling duo, making both men blink.

The blonde blinked at hearing her patient voice and broke his concentration to see the familiar Osaka girl parked twenty or so feet away from him and the oversized Russian, her hands leaving the handlebars of her black Vespa to cross over her chest habitually. "Miku," he grumbled, dropping the bike between him and the man he'd been squabbling with, straightening.

She smiled lightly. "Yo."

"Kazamura, good to see you! Why you no come eat sushi last time? Shizuo very sad when he ordered out." The tall "Afro-Russian" Simon put on a happy smile at seeing the blue-eyed girl, ignoring the blushing face of the blonde ex-bartender standing near him.

Shizuo growled and sent him a glare, the blush deepening when he caught her tilt her head to the side. "Shut up, that's not how it was!" He defended indignantly.

Miku chuckled, smiling again. "Sure it wasn't. I was just heading home when I heard a certain someone letting his temper flare up." She declared lightly.

The aforementioned 'certain someone' coughed awkwardly on reflex and cut his gaze to the side. "Shut up." He grated, pretending he didn't hear her giggle quietly.

Seeing the apparent feelings the lanky ex-bartender had for the cobalt-haired mangaka that the former seemed to try and hide in the face of the public, Simon smiled again. "Next time come eat Russia Sushi, Kazamura!" He requested, seeing her blink.

She flashed a light smile and nodded. "You got it, Simon. Oi, I was gonna pick up a snack before heading home. Wanna join me?" She asked, looking at the blonde again.

He cocked a brow briefly before smirking slightly at her invite, nodding. "Yeah, since ya insist." He replied, walking over to her and letting her make room for him on the bike seat before he joined her on the bike. "See ya, Simon." He added before the duo turned to head to the nearest food kiosk.

"So just where did you want to get something to eat at…?" He dared wonder when they found an open dango kiosk, walking at her side as she rolled the bike at her side.

She shrugged. "Dango." She blinked at the slightly confused look that crossed behind the blue tint of his shades, sweatdropping and smiling slightly. "Aww come on, I know you like sweets. Ta be honest, if I remember correctly, you treated me to dango the same day I broke up with my first boyfriend." She urged gently.

Shizuo backtracked to that day and huffed quietly, nodding. "Yeah, I remember. After I beat the shit outta him, that is." He added with a wistful smirk, holding onto the Vespa's left handlebar as she ordered two sweet dango and paid for them with a light smile at the cashier. "Oi, why so chipper? You didn't get paid yet, did you?" He wondered on her sudden generosity.

Miku shrugged and handed him his dango, pulling the first sweet ball off the stick of her own and chewing as they started back the way they'd come. "Harada-san liked my work, my publisher, and said the second volume would be hitting the shelves next month." She informed casually.

He cocked a brow before biting into one of the sweet ball on the top of the stack, smiling slightly. "That's good. So you're going to work on volume three, then," he guessed, chewing absently.

She nodded. "Yep. I've kind of got a good idea for the first chapter's draft," she replied calmly.

Both of them blinked simultaneously when their phones went off, Shizuo's beeping and Miku's playing the chorus "_We are the people that you never get the best of, never get the rest of, Are We All We Are_"; she pulled her phone out of the pocket of her red jacket as he slipped his out of the pocket of his pants and they noticed they'd both received a new email.

_The Dollars?_ She wondered at opening the message and seeing the name scrawled on the subject description, tilting her head to one side.  
She'd heard of the gang, mostly viral on the net for a few years until it leaked into reality and then everybody and their dog was claiming they were members of the Dollars, most of the people claiming such things being hacks and your average, typical gangbanger or urban kid.

So to be indicted into such a famous gang was a surprise to her.

"You got the same thing." He guessed, reminding her that she wasn't alone on the street.

She nodded, seeing he was also looking at his phone screen and smiling to herself at seeing that she wasn't the only one present who had been indicted. "Yeah. Cool, right?" She mused.

The sound of a horse neighing rang out, surprising them both.

"A horse in the middle of 'Bukuro? That's kinda odd…" She muttered.

"Celty." He ground out, perking her ears; he looked at her. "Something's up; come on." He hopped onto the Vespa, twisting the key into the ignition so the bike purred to life once more.

"Yeah, but what could be wrong at this time of night… E-eh, Shizuo!" She yelped when he hooked his arm around her hips and pulled her onto the seat, setting her in his lap before speeding off towards the source of the noise, ignoring the blush that adorned her cheeks as she held onto the handlebars for dear life.

::::::o|o:::::::

"Celty!" She barked as he slammed on the brakes, looking at the men surrounding the headless biker that wielded a long black scythe carved from the shadows.

He looked at the spectacle in surprise, his attention jerking away as he saw her make to go help the mythical being; he grabbed the hood of her jacket, surprising the girl he had captive and making her look at him, noting the pocket knife she had pulled out. "Hold it." He urged.

"B-but, Shizuo," she began quietly in confusion, looking at the scene and reluctantly obeying, letting him release the hood as she retreated to rest her hip against the side of the bike, watching the dullahan fend off the men with ease and expertise. _Celty_, she thought, blinking as one of the men still standing lopped off her helmet, showing the entirety of the crowd gathered just what Celty Sturleson really was beneath the yellow cat-eared helmet.

In no second flat, cameras and camera-phones shot into the air from the crowd, taking snapshots of the headless being in the center frantically.

_She must be really pissed to not care what they do_, she mused, her brow furrowing. _Celty, just what happened to make you do this?_

* * *

**reviews are well-loved so drop one if y'like; thanks~ ;'D**


	4. Chapter 04

**Durarara! in its entirety is copyright to Narita Ryohgo-sensei; Miku belongs to me.**

_**edit:_

{"_word_"} - _text message mode_

["**word**"] - **Celty's PDA message mode**

* * *

_**-Durarara!—3 Months Later-**_

Snow fell softly.

Even though she should be inside the sanctuary of her apartment watching TV with her cat curled up at her side on the couch with a cup of her favorite green tea in her hands, she liked snow. Ever since she was little, she loved the first signs of snowfall, the coldness that seized the usually-neutral climate of Japan.

With a quiet sigh she looked up at the bleak gray sky of the afternoon, sitting on a cold bench in the middle of the park, admiring the change of pace and scenery.

It wasn't long before she felt someone tap her shoulder; she blinked and brought her head back down from the sky, seeing a familiar black-clad biker standing to the side.

She smiled lightly. "Celty, it's been a while. How've you been?" She asked.

With a swift flick of the wrist, the headless woman typed away on the screen of her PDA, presenting the screen to her.  
[**Doing good, just working. What about you, how has your manga been coming along?**]

She gestured she sit with her, shrugging aimlessly. "Same thing, and almost done with volume three, just need a couple more chapters." Her eyes softened as she thought back to that scene as of a few months ago, looking at the yellow-helmet-wearing dullahan. "I guess you're in better spirits than you were that night, y'know…" She trailed off and smiled weakly.

More tapping on the screen.  
[**That's good. And yeah, things were pretty hectic that night… But it's okay now. Kinda got used to it. :)**]

She smiled again and nodded. "That's good, how's Shinra-kun?" She wondered.

Tapping again.  
[**Same as usual, though he's seriously dead-set on marriage now than he used to be**.]

She blinked before chuckling softly, smiling at her friend. "I would imagine, but that's sweet that he wants to be with you. You're lucky to have him." _Him and his mannerisms_, she inwardly added, smiling again.

Her shoulders shook slightly with what she could only assume was laughter, gloved fingers tapping away on the screen.  
[**Yeah, I am. What about Shizuo-kun? I'd have thought you two were dating by now**.]

Her cheeks colored pink and she coughed, looking down humbly. "I-I doubt it, his schedule is as work-affiliated as mine is. Besides, we're just friends…" She defended weakly.

If she had eyes, Celty would've rolled them at the girl's stubbornness. [**You know he cares about you, Miku. Why else would he have wanted to protect you throughout high school from Izaya-san? Really, he does like you, a lot. He doesn't tell me straight out, but I can tell that he's soft on you, and not because of your looks either**.]

The blush deepened. "Yeah, he mentioned that, one day a few months back when we had dinner. It was a surprise, really, to have him come to my apartment with sushi…" She smiled thoughtfully at the memory, sighing and banishing the memory away. "What else does he tell you?" She felt slightly jealous that he had been relenting his musings and feelings to the dullahan, but at the same time she was curious on what he said about her.

More tapping.  
[**He says you don't think of him like everyone else does. That you do care about him, even though he knows you're not ready just yet to tell him. And he also hates Izaya-san more than ever because he broke up with you a few years back**.]

She smiled slightly, kicking her boots against the concrete beneath her absently. "That doesn't surprise me, he's always hated Izaya. But no, I don't think of him like the rest of society does: he's not scary. Not to me. And even if people call him a monster, to be honest, I like that part about him. I know that if it came down to it, he'd use his strength to protect those he loves, those he cares about. And I do care about him, I care about him especially moreso if he gets hurt or worse." She shuddered even though she wasn't cold, looking down.

[**It sounds more like love than care to me**.] Celty wrote.

Miku blushed and chuckled quietly, looking at the frozen pond and shrugging. "Maybe so. Either way, one day soon, I'll tell him. At least before Izaya puts his foot in the way or something like that." She added wryly.

[**He mentioned that, said you were pretty upset. Is that the day you said he took you dinner**?]

"Yeah, that was pretty hectic. But it was really sweet of him to care about my well-being." She smiled.

[**That reminds me, his birthday is coming up, what're you going to do**?]

She blinked and looked down at the screen of her phone to see it was nearly a week before said blonde's birthday. "Damn, is it that soon already? G-geh, umm… crap. I don't know!" She whined, slapping her forehead and shutting her eyes tight with a groan.  
_Stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!_

Celty seemed to sweatdrop. [**Why not just take him to dinner? Or bake him something**?]

Miku opened a blue eye at her suggestions, her shoulders slumping. "I can't cook for shit, that's why I usually buy microwave food." She looked at the pond again and put a finger to her chin in thought. "Hmm… Hey, I know!" She looked at the biker dullahan and clapped her hands together in pleading. "Can we go on a double date with you and Shinra-kun? Please, Celty-chan!?" She pleaded, giving her the puppy dog eyes.

Her shoulders shook softly in laughter as she typed. [**That's cute, but save the puppy-dog eyes for Shizuo-kun. I'm sure Shinra wouldn't mind doing that, it's been a while since he's seen either one of you**.]

"Yay, thank you Celty-chan!" She threw her arms around her friend, making the dullahan stiffen slightly before she patted her shoulder, pulling away to smile at her.

[**No problem, what day do you want to meet? Asking so that way I can let Shinra know**.]

"Hm, how's the day before sound?" She wondered, seeing her nod.

[**Sounds fair. Just text me what time you want to meet up. Russia Sushi**?] She guessed.

She nodded. "Yeah, that's perfect. I'll do that."

* * *

He almost choked on the smoke coming from the cigarette in his mouth. "Y-you what?"

'_It's not a date of sorts, just two couples hanging out. C'mon, it won't hurt! Please?_' She pleaded on the other line.

"What in the friggin' hell possessed you to wanna go on a double-date with Celty and Shinra? And we're not even a couple!" He demanded.

She seemed to blush for the briefest moment before chuckling at his response. '_I know that, dummy, but Celty and I talked and we wanted to get out with you two. Besides, in all honesty, I wanted to do something for you for your birthday. Please, Shizuo?_' She requested, seeming sincere this time.

It was a good thing she didn't see him blush at hearing her reason behind such a random idea; he exhaled. "Remind me to kill Shinra for letting you two get together… Fine, since you're so dead-set on this." He complied.

'_You're the best! Wanna meet at my apartment at six tomorrow?_' She sounded like she was beaming.

He couldn't help but smile for her at hearing her sound so excited. "Yeah, sounds perfect." He replied.

'_Alright, well I gotta get back to work, I just figured I'd run this by you before doing anything else. See you tomorrow, Shizuo!_' She sounded like she was still smiling on the other line.

"Well thanks for being so considerate." He heard her giggle quietly. "See you tomorrow, Miku." He closed the phone and looked at it for a second longer before sighing.

_Good fuck what was he gonna do?_

::::::oO|Oo:::::::

He sweatdropped at seeing the bespectacled doctor gushing over the quiet and more-peaceful dullahan, inwardly slapping his forehead as he rolled his eyes.

If anyone, he knew Kishitani Shinra could be more of a fangirl over Celty than any of those fangirls were of his little brother Kasuka. Now that he thought on it, it was downright scary…

"See you later, you two; happy birthday again, Shizuo-kun!" Shinra called, jerking him from his thoughts as he looked to see the odd couple already taking off on the biker's sleek black motorcycle, disappearing into the growing darkness.

Miku waved after them, smiling slightly. "Well that was fun." She mused aloud.

Shizuo nodded. "Yeah, really, once you got past Shinra's babbling." He chimed, tugging on her sleeve to lead her in the direction back to her apartment.

She rolled her eyes and smiled patiently up at him as he pulled out another cigarette, lighting it up. "Typical Shinra-kun, he never changes." She muttered, lifting her free hand to snatch his cigarette from his hand, taking a brief drag before handing it back, wisps of smoke escaping her lips.

"Since when do you smoke?" He cocked a brow.

She shrugged. "Kinda started when I was going out with Izaya. Kicked the habit after he said some bullshit line like 'I don't want my precious Miku-chan to get lung cancer and die!'…" She shook her head.

He bristled on reflex at the mention of that flea, snorting. "Ass-kisser." He muttered.

Miku noted his tensed body and looked down at his hand still holding her sleeve, maneuvering her hand to take hold of his own and twine her fingers with his, surprising the blonde.

Shizuo felt his cheeks blaze at having her hold his hand, noting the calm expression on her face and quieting, taking another drag from his cigarette as he squeezed her hand gently.

The rest of the walk was quiet even as he walked her to the door.

Smiling at his gentlemanly gesture, she reluctantly released his hand to fish inside the pocket of her jacket for her keys, pulling them out as he was just about finished with the cig. "I hope you'll have a lot of birthdays from here on, and that they'll be happy." She wished, looking up at him and smiling gently, turning to open her door. "Goodnight, Shizuo…" She began.

"Miku." He took her hand again, surprising her; he saw her look up at him with curious and strangely innocent blue eyes. He pulled the cigarette away from his lips, feeling his cheeks heat again; he couldn't believe he was doing this.

She felt her cheeks flare up to a shade of red as he inclined his head down to kiss her, gently crushing his lips to her own; '_he says he knows you care about him, just that you're not ready to tell him yet_.' Her words echoed back to her.

Sliding her eyes closed, she lifted her hands to gingerly bunch in his blonde locks, kissing back and smiling against his lips as he folded his arms around her waist.

"Shizuo," he heard her rasp softly when he pulled back, looking down at her to see she was blushing as much as he was, something in the pit of his gut stirring at hearing her say his name like that and wanting her to say it again in the same way; she ran her fingers through his blonde hair gently, that same light smile he always liked most adorning her lips. "I do care about you. A lot." She admitted, blushing a darker shade of red if that was possible.

He quieted in surprise and smiled slowly, releasing her waist of one hand to run his fingers through her cobalt hair. "I'm glad, especially after seeing you go through hell with those other guys, and then with that flea…" Her lips on his quieted his sentence; he blinked once before smirking softly and kissing back, letting her pull away.

"Happy birthday." She hummed softly, smiling despite the taste of cigarette on her tongue at the pink blush that was fading from his cheeks and the happy light in his brown eyes she immediately liked, hugging him tightly before letting go to retreat inside her apartment.

"'Night, Miku." He declared.

She smiled fondly and nodded. "'Night, Shizuo. I'm glad I could give you a happy birthday." She replied.

He smiled back and chuckled quietly. "Me too; see you later, cat lady." He teased gently, seeing her pout cutely before he turned to head to the elevator with his hands in his pockets and his head on cloud nine.

* * *

_**-DRRR!—3 Months Later-**_

She blinked at the question, inwardly noting that this guy looked old enough to be her father, let alone that he looked like he'd seen better days. "Sorry, but could you run that by me again?" She asked politely.

The scruffy-looking reporter Niekawa looked down at the pad he had scrawled some questions on, looking up at the girl's blue eyes. "Could you tell me just what you know of Heiwajima Shizuo? An info broker acquaintance of mine said if anyone knew anything of him, it would be you, Miss Kazamura." He replied, seeming a bit sheepish and curious at the same time.

"An info broker? Oh… _him_. Yeah, look, don't go screwing with him; to be frank, he's an ass-kisser and a total jerk, so he can be pretty mean when he feels like it. But enough of that! Heiwajima Shizuo and I are high school friends, he's always looked out for me and on one occasion or two he beat the shit out of a couple of bad exes when we were in school." She smiled sheepishly, sipping her soda. "But when it comes to his strength, he's kinda scary… Well okay, pretty scary. And that's coming from his girlfriend." She chuckled as he scribbled down on the pad the key points to her relation to the aforementioned strongman.

"So he's not a monster like everyone else says he is, then." He didn't make it a question, taking a sip from his own drink.

She shrugged. "Not with girls; he's a softie on girls, though don't publish that part. If he knew you were the one who put that out for the rest of the world to see, he'd prolly end up killing you. No pressure! But no, he's not a monster. I really believe that if it comes down to it, he'll use his strength to protect those he cares about." She explained, smiling thoughtfully.

Niekawa smiled slightly at her answer, scribbling again. "This is kind off the record, but just how did you meet him? The info broker mentioned you were from Osaka…" He dared a look at her blue eyes.

Miku pursed her lips at the mention of that "flea", lifting a hand to run slender fingers through her bangs. "Well I kinda had a knack for having a big mouth in school, so he saw these girls gang up on me one day. My older brother taught me a bit of self-defense and anything related to hand-to-hand combat since I was twelve, so I kicked their asses. I guess he was impressed at my fighting skill." She smiled again, sheepish and proud at the same time.

He made a small note not to piss off the young manga artist, scribbling again and looking at her. "Well, I think this is all I need for my article. Thanks again, Miss Kazamura." He stood from the small table to take his leave, extending his hand to her.

She nodded and shook his hand, flashing a kind smile. "Don't mention it! Hope your article gets good reviews. Sometimes the critics can be pretty harsh." She wished.

Niekawa briefly wondered how the strongman of Ikebukuro had obtained the heart of a kind girl like Kazamura Miku, leaving the small restaurant.

* * *

***small note - next chap will mostly go with the Saika arc in the anime, just a head's up.**

**other than that, feel free to drop a review. thanks! ;'D**


	5. Chapter 05

****side note: to the person who gave the first review for this fic, the other fic in question "Dye it Blood Black" is going to be updated soon, just to let y'know. thanks for reviewing and hope to hear a solid review for this fic i've busted my ass over. /bows**

**Durarara! in its entirety is copyright to Narita Ryohgo; Miku belongs to me.**

* * *

The dullahan sweatdropped as she tried to talk the strongman out of helping her.  
_God please let her get here soon_, she thought vainly.

The purr of a Vespa's motor sounded before the beacon of relief she had been waiting for showed up, bringing the bike to a halt near hers.

Even though she knew their mutual companion couldn't be stopped by two females, there was that slim shred of hope that he would listen to the reasoning of the woman getting off her bike and pulling her helmet off and then sliding her hands into the pockets of the red jacket she donned.

"You rang?" She wondered of her friend, looking from the cat-eared-helmet to the jet black helmet he wore on his head, ignoring the quiet mantra of the word 'kill' he spoke under his breath.

Her fingers tapped on the screen.  
[**Glad you're here; try and get him to listen to reason. He's insistent on killing the Slasher that cut me a while back**.]

She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Oh yeah, I heard about that; sounds like the Slasher dude is getting to be pretty annoying around 'Bukuro. Oi, would you stop saying that?" She mused, looking at the lanky blonde rocking on the bike, making it shake slightly and earning a sweatdrop from her.

"Yer outta your mind if you think I'm gonna bail now; I ain't leavin', not until I kill that bastard Slasher for hurting Celty! And what're you doing here anyway, Miku?" Said strongman barked indignantly.

He was so going to get it later.

She put her hands on her hips. "Celty can handle him herself, love. Besides, she text me to come drag your ass home before you did something stupid." She reminded patiently, scowling at him as he went back into his mantra of 'kill' once again.

The aforementioned woman shook her head in dejection. [**Thanks for trying to help, Miku**.]

"Don't mention it. I shoulda realized trying to talk reason to Shizuo is like trying to make a brick wall get up and dance." She shrugged, coming forward to lean her hip against the front tire, looking at the quiet East-Central Ikebukuro Park. "I'd imagine Shinra-kun knows of this too." She guessed.

Tapping.  
[**Yeah, he's been helping me get some background information on the Slasher issue**.]

She lifted a brow at the message. "So what all did you two find out? From what I've heard, it sounds like whoever's slashing people is possessed. I keep hearing the term 'glowing red eyes' whenever someone mentions it." She asked quietly.

[**Have you ever heard of Saika**?] The screen read.

"Isn't it like a cousin-of-sorts sword to the Muramasa?" She tilted her head to one side.

She nodded. [**Izaya-san mentioned it, when I went to go ask him for info. Its method is exactly how you described it. Though how did you find out about it**?]

She shrugged again. "I was digging up reference for my manga back in college and the name came up on the net, along with Muramasa. Pretty wicked sword, if y'ask me." She explained, ignoring the involuntary lip-curl at the mention of her ex-boyfriend.

[**So you've never seen it in person**.]

"Nah, just pictures on the net; I sort of based my main character's katana off the Saika, to be honest…" She scratched her cheek and smiled meekly.

[**I just might have to check into your manga one of these days**.] She would imagine she would've smiled had she a head and face beneath the helmet.

She smiled humbly.

Celty tensed slightly, earning a look from the Osaka girl, before both females looked to see a trio of guys had spotted them, preferably the yellow-helmeted dullahan.

Miku straightened from her posture, hands crumpling into fists as she watched them tense at recognizing her friend. _Yellow… aren't these guys part of the Yellow Scarves?_ She wondered at noting the color code.

It was a shame Shizuo spotted them too.

Celty started tapping frantically on the screen of her PDA to stop him as said blonde hopped off the bike to go "greet" the trio.

"H-hang on, Shizuo…!" Miku began alertly, watching him stop short of a few feet away from the one wearing a purple dress jacket; she groaned and slapped her forehead.

"You got somethin' to say to me, bug face!? 'Cuz we got something to say to that creepy-crawly friend of yours over there, and maybe that slut too!" The aforementioned soon-to-be-stain-on-the-concrete sneered up at the lanky ex-bartender.

"For the love of fuck." She hissed under her breath as the biker's head drooped and shoulders slumped in exasperation.

Both females shared a look when said strongman started beating the shit out of the trio.

Celty perked up at the faint sound of sirens heading to where they were, looking at the girl and tapping on her PDA's screen.  
[**Sounds like the police are coming because of the commotion; let's get Shizuo out of here before they get here. Follow me**.]

Miku nodded, looking over at her boyfriend and hopping onto her bike, starting the ignition quickly and speeding over to drive a wedge between him and the thoroughly-beaten-men. "Shizuo, time to split, hop on!" She advised, looking to Celty.

Shizuo hesitated and stomped his foot into the top of the blonde gang-member's head before hopping onto her bike and letting her speed off with his arms around her waist.

Celty sped off into the night with Miku and Shizuo tailing her.

The trio were already heading to the freeway when the dullahan seemed to sense something amiss –although the second female present inwardly wagered it was because of the flashing biker-cop lights coming up from the opposite direction—and turned sharply to retreat into the winding streets of Ikebukuro; the strongman's arms tightened reflexively around her small waist as she followed suit and tailed the lead, diving into a near alley to dodge the biker-cops that flew by the alley opening.

"What was that for?" He asked both females.

She shook her head; she glanced back at him. "It's nothing, sorry about that." She replied, smiling sheepishly, blinking at noting a small smudge of blood under his left nostril; she sweatdropped. "Why does it not surprise me that you have a bleeding nose?" She scolded.

He huffed. "Don't go motherin' me, will ya?" He griped.

[**Let's keep moving**.] Her PDA screen read.

The couple nodded; she handed him her helmet, ignoring the scowl he sent before donning it, speeding after the dullahan back to the ramp leading to the freeway.

Celty skidded to a halt once again as she heard the sound of a car crashing, turning to follow the noise.

"Oi, make up your mind!" Shizuo barked as Miku followed her lead shortly until she was flanking her right side, clinging to his girlfriend for dear life.

::::::xX|Xx:::::::

She balked slightly once bringing the bike to a halt.

"Isn't that Niekawa-san…?" She wondered aloud to herself, looking at the group gathered a few yards away, blinking as she recognized one of them from high school. "D-Dotachin-kun? What the hell's going on?" She asked.

"Dotachin, look!" The only girl in the group barked, looking behind them to see the "Slasher" getting back up, knife in hand.

Miku tensed and gripped the handlebars of her Vespa, narrowing her eyes. _Just how is Niekawa-san involved in this? And why is he the Slasher?_ She wondered.

A brief battle cry jarred her from the thoughts swimming in her head as the ex-bartender batter-rammed the reporter with one of the sliding doors from the van parked behind her and Celty's bikes, wincing slightly when she heard something crunch from the other side of the shield he'd used.

"Shizuo," she mused in slight surprise.

"S-so just who's gonna buy me a new door!?" She blinked at hearing the strangled exclamation that came from one of Kadota's friends, looking at him to see him crumpled on the ground in shock.

Smiling weakly, she hopped off her bike to walk up to her high-school friend. "Been a while, neh, Dotachin-kun?" She guessed, perking his ears.

"No matter how long of time it's been, you still call me that, Kazamura-chan." Kadota Kyohei grated, shuddering at the nickname.

She smiled cheekily. "Old habits die hard, dude. So, do I want to know about the whole situation or not?" She sighed and looked over at the unconscious reporter and triumphant strongman, sweatdropping.

"H-hang on, '**Kazamura-chan**'!? Dotachin, you know Kazamura Miku, the author of '_Edo Girl of the Shinsengumi'!?_" The same girl in his crew practically shrieked, making those gathered cringe on reflex, jolting up to look from one old friend to the other with stars in her eyes.

Miku blinked and tilted her head to one side. "Who wants to know?" She wondered.

Kyohei sweatdropped. "Sorry, that's Karisawa Erika, the other otaku is Walker Yumasaki… and the guy bawling over his ruined van is Togusa Saburo. They're kinda nuts so ignore them." He informed.

Oh, fans…

She smiled a little at meeting fans of her work, nodding at the awestruck otakus. "That would be me, then. Nice to meet ya!" She declared lightly.

"**SO COOL**!" Both Walker and Erika cried in unison, earning another sweatdrop from both Kyohei and Miku. "**WOULD YOU SIGN OUR FIRST VOLUMES OF '****_EDO GIRL IN THE SHINSENGUMI'_**_!?_" They asked, both whipping out a copy of the first volume of her manga and showing them to her.

Miku smiled sheepishly. "Sure!" She took the offered pen from Erika and signed both copies, handing them back. "There you go, I'm glad my manga has been such a hit." She declared.

Celty sweatdropped from the sidelines and scratched her cheek aimlessly, tapping on the screen of her PDA again and showing the screen to the artist the two otakus were gushing over, seeing her blink when reading the message.  
[**I'll take the girl home, you take Shizuo with you. Catch you later**.]

She nodded and smiled at her friend. "Sounds fair, careful going home. Oi, let's move, strongman." She called calmly to her boyfriend, returning to her Vespa.

"Leaving so soon?" Kadota wondered, perking her ears as she pulled her hood over her head.

Miku shrugged. "Yeah, sorry to cut it short. Gotta get Shizuo home, and me too. Maybe we can catch up another day over sushi or something; see you later, Dotachin-kun." She smirked when he scowled pointedly at the nickname, hopping onto the seat as Shizuo wrapped his arms around her waist and then took off into the darkness of the Ikebukuro streets.

* * *

He scowled. "I told you it doesn't hurt…" He grated.

She rolled her eyes and dabbed the spot under his nostril gingerly with the wet piece of toilet paper, seeing his jaw clench slightly at the brief twinge of pain. "Don't act like that with me, you know it doesn't work." She scolded gently, having finished wiping the blood from his nose and tossed the paper into the trash can next to the sink of her bathroom.

He rolled his eyes in return, sighing. "Well don't mother me." He remarked.

"If I don't worry over you then who will?" She stated stubbornly, scowling into his brown eyes.

Shizuo stiffened slightly when she said such a thing aloud, quieting as he looked at the word 'OSAKA' printed on the royal-blue tank top she wore, looking at the bright yellow color of the word. "Sorry." He muttered.

Miku's shoulders slumped with the soft sigh she released, pushing aside the vague feeling that something was still amiss as she lifted a hand to run her fingers through his blonde hair, watching him lift a hand to hold hers when it lowered to his right cheek. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay." She admitted quietly.

He smirked softly at her assurance, releasing her hand to let its fingers brush some of his shaggy bangs back aimlessly. "I'm still surprised that you actually wanted to be with me, even though y'know how I am." He mused.

She frowned softly and sighed again, folding her arms around his neck as she let him pull her into an embrace, resting her cheek against his left temple. "Idiot, you know I don't care about that. I want to be with you because beneath all that you're really just a gentle and caring person. And that's what I like most." She admitted, smiling when his arms around her waist tightened.

He huffed and propped his chin on her shoulder. "As relieving as that is to hear, not to get off subject, but I still feel like something's still wrong with the whole Slasher thing." He mused, running a hand through her hair.

Miku pouted slightly at the change in topic, pulling away a little in his arms to look at him curiously. "You're feeling that too, then." She guessed.

Shizuo nodded and let her out of his arms reluctantly, seeing her adjust her tank top's bottom hem and straighten it out before she pulled her phone out from the back pocket of her black jeans.

"Celty hasn't text me anything…" Her phone buzzed at that moment, slightly surprising the couple.

She flipped it open, quirking a brow. "Yeah?"

_'Kazamura-chan, is that you? Is Shizuo-kun with you?_' The voice of Kishitani Shinra asked on the other line.

"Shinra-kun? Yeah, we're both here. What's up?" She replied, starting to get a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut.

'_Celty was gonna go look for you two, mainly Shizuo-kun. It's a long story, but Saika is after Shizuo, they want to cut him! Where are you now?_' He sounded concerned.

"We're at my apartment, but where's Celty?" She gripped the phone in her hand on reflex at hearing Shizuo had a group of 'fans' out to get him, shuddering.

'_Get out of there as soon as possible! The Slasher victims are meeting at South Ikebukuro Park, so unless you want your apartment overrun with Slashers, get over there_.' Shinra advised sharply.

Miku nodded. "Right, we're on our way. Thanks, Shinra-kun." She smiled before closing the phone and stowing it back in her pocket, looking at him. "Let's go, Celty's at the park." She urged.

Shizuo blinked before following her out of the bathroom, letting her throw her jacket on and then dragging her out the door, slamming it and hurrying to the elevator. "So we were right." He guessed as they boarded the elevator and went to the ground floor.

"Yeah, pretty dead on. Shinra-kun told me the Slashers want a piece of you… literally. Celty's on her way to deal with them." She replied, handing him her helmet as she pulled her hood on and made sure her knife was in her pocket, pulling her phone out to quickly text the dullahan, {_Shinra-kun filled us in, on our way; b careful – Miku ;)_}.

"Damn it, now I'm really gonna kill them! Friggin' bastards!" He growled, glad when they landed on the ground floor, dragging her out to get her Vespa.

:::::::xX|Xx:::::::

The name 'Heiwajima Shizuo' seemed to be pretty popular with the Slasher victims.

She growled on reflexes honed during her time spent training with her brother as she gripped the handle of her knife, glaring at the number of "victims" wielding knives or anything of the like in different shapes and sizes, gripping the sleeve of his shirt. "Talk about a fan club." She grumbled.

He narrowed his eyes at the throng, lowering her knife-wielding hand gently and surprising her.  
"Shizuo," she began softly in confusion.

He sent a glare at the throng again. "You're nuts if you think I'm gonna let them cut you. Stay with Celty, and don't even think about joining the fight. No matter what." He turned his hardened brown eyes on her.

She quieted reluctantly and scowled, obeying. "Be quick about it, otherwise I will have to step in and kick some ass." She warned, yanking on the bowtie he wore to crush her lips against his in a hard kiss.

He hesitated to grab her and kiss back just as hard, smirking wryly at her words. "I'll keep that in mind." He replied softly, pulling away to hop off her bike with his hands in the pockets of his pants.

Despite the impending brawl and tension that suffocated the air around her, Miku couldn't help but fight the wry smirk that tugged at her lips at the cocky words he'd uttered; she folded her arms across her chest and sat on the seat of her bike to watch the scene.

* * *

**drop a review if y'want, thanks! ;')**


	6. Chapter 06

**Durarara! in its entirety belongs to Narita Ryohgo; Miku belongs to me.**

* * *

She smiled to herself.  
{_So R U Better After That Thing w/ the Slash'r? – Miku ;)_}

He was indeed getting better at texting.  
{_Yea. How Goes Work? – Shizuo Dx_}

She smiled again.

{_Art Blok O; Its Cool, tho, Just Taking Br8ke – Miku ;)_}

{_Kay. Russia Sushi 4 Dinner? Got Paid – Shizuo Dx_}

{_Epic xD C U Then! - Miku ;)}_

{_Get2 Work & Stop BS'ng, Prizefytr :'O – Shizuo Dx_}

She giggled softly at his words and closed her phone, smirking to herself at the calm afternoon around her as she sat on the park bench.

"Y'know, this might be the happiest I've ever seen you, Miku-chan~." A painstakingly-familiar voice declared before someone sat down next to her on the bench, wrenching her from the future prospects of a date with Shizuo at the end of the day.

She scowled at the pond, refusing to meet the "stranger's" garnet eyes. "Surprised **you're** skulking around here. Don't you have a snitch job to do?" She drawled, bristling on reflex at being so close to him.

He chuckled. "Scary words coming from you~! Can't a guy come check on his ex-girlfriend?" He returned lightly.

Usually when he was in a light mood it meant somewhere in Japan something wrong was going down.

"Not when the ex-girlfriend in question wants to **rip his throat out**_."_ She sniffed coldly.

A light sigh sounded as he relaxed on the bench and slouched. "You're the same as ever, Miku-chan, though that cold tone doesn't suit a beautiful girl like you. Neither does that monster you're with~." He mused aloud, tilting his head up at the sky.

"Don't bitch about him just because you hate his very existence. Not infront of me." She growled.

He seemed to smirk, sliding his eyes closed. "Someone's a very territorial girlfriend. Seriously, Miku, you could have any man you want, even me if you so please, but it still confuses me on why you're so soft on Shizu-chan." He complained calmly.

She curled her lip at his complaint, quieting as it dawned on her as it had once dawned on her back in high school: a slow smirk spread across her lips.  
"You'd only want me back just to make him jealous." She hummed.

He opened one garnet eye at her words. "Oh, and what's that mean, love?" He wondered.

She bit the inside of her right cheek to fight a wince at his petname, playing it cool and running a hand through her bangs aimlessly. "You hate him so much because you believe he isn't human with his breathtaking strength he has." She mused lightly.

Both garnet eyes opened slightly. "Anything else other than the plainly obvious?" He asked.

"You're jealous. And you hate that Shizuo's got one more person to care about him, especially since it's the girl you once told 'I love all humans, not just you'." She was smiling now.

Bringing his head down from the clouds, Orihara Izaya sent her a penetrating glare she seemed impervious to, garnet eyes gleaming red in the sunlight. "You don't know crap about me, even though you think you do because our relationship was a fabricated fairy tale two years ago." His voice was brittle and sharp.

Miku met his penetrating glare with a challenging and cheeky smirk. "You didn't deny what I said. Also, even when we were going out, I always felt a gut instinct that you were lying through your teeth the whole fucking time. I still hate you, don't get me wrong, I hate all sleaze-bag assholes like you, I'm just learning to get used to seeing you parade around like an ass-kissin' imp." She straightened from sitting in the bench, stretching her arms to the sky and yawning. "I wouldn't try goin' near Shizuo right now were I you, either, _oni_; he still wants your head on a silver platter." She added coolly, sliding her hands into the pockets of her jacket and turning to get a bite before going home.

A pocket knife sailed past her; she dodged easily, watching it pierce the bark of a nearby tree, looking over her shoulder at him to see he was practically seething beneath that slick composure he kept, a second knife in hand.

She smiled lightly. "Nice try, _Oni_-Orihara." She sighed, putting a little bounce in her step as she went on the hunt for the nearest burger kiosk.

:::::::oO|Oo:::::::

She knew he would be pissed if she told him about her little run-in with the informant.

So, deciding to play it cool and vainly praying to God that he wouldn't sense anything amiss, she was all too happy to greet him when he appeared at her front door with a to-go bag of sushi.

He smiled a kind smile, a smile she loved, at seeing her slightly bouncy step, toeing his shoes off near the door as she let him in. "Don't tell me you got paid too." He guessed calmly as she took the sushi to the kitchen, following at a leisurely pace.

"Nah, just happy to see you. And not just for the food, either." She replied with a smirk, leaning up to peck his cheek before going to the refrigerator to get both of them drinks.

Even before going out with him, she knew Shizuo had a thing for milk, so she now made it a habit to buy the six-packs of twelve ounce milk bottles whenever she made a run to the store.

He shook his head softly at her remark, catching the bottle of milk expertly with a hand as he situated himself on the bar stool while she nicked a bottle of Coke and retreated to sit with him, handing her the box of yellow tuna with cucumber rolls as he took his own box and started eating.

A loud burp escaped her when the food was finished.

Shizuo snorted on reflex at the burp, smirking again at the sheepish and blushing face of his girlfriend. "Things never change," he muttered around finishing the milk bottle.

Miku pouted and pulled his cheek chidingly, hopping off the bar stool to toss the empty boxes. "Piss off, at least I belched. Compliments to Dennis." She sniffed, crossing her arms at her chest as she retreated into the living room with the lanky blonde at her heels.

"One of these days ya should thank him yourself; startin' to get tired of doing it for you." He quipped with a pout-like expression, earning a snort and then quieted giggle from her.

She smiled innocently when he sent her a scowl, putting her hands up in surrender. "Don't hate. And that was cute," she teased gently, the innocent smile switching to a coy smirk as she plopped down on the couch.

He felt his cheeks heat on reflex and he spluttered a huff, cutting his gaze to the side as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "Don't patronize me." He complained, perking up when her smaller hands took his face in their grasp and she kissed him; his cheeks practically burned at being caught off guard before he calmed and kissed back, leaning down to hold onto her.

Miku smiled gently and pulled back, hearing him growl under his breath at the break, her blue eyes soft. "I missed you today." She mused quietly.

Shizuo could swear he was blushing harder at hearing those words, although a great part of him was proud to hear said words be spoken to him by the girl he had defended in the past, smiling fondly and taking her face in his hands, tucking strands behind her ears. "I missed you too." His lips crushed hers hard, but he kept it gentle, feeling her fingers lift to run through his hair as he smiled against her lips.

She thought back to the conversation she'd had with her ex earlier in the day and inwardly shuddered at the memory of being with him two years back, crushing her lips against his own and reminding herself that Izaya was done for good and Shizuo was all that mattered to her, just as he should've been in the past.

He pulled away a little to look at her curiously. "Is something wrong?" He wondered.

She shook her head and shrugged, smiling up at him. "I'm fine, really." She replied.

Brown eyes narrowing in suspicion, Shizuo gave her a look. "You always sucked at lying to me. Spill." He reminded pointedly, seeing her wince in recognition at her own foolishness.

Miku sighed and shuffled away, patting the spot on the couch next to her; he plopped down next to her, curious and concerned at the same time, but mostly curious.

She looked forward at the black coffee table. "Promise you won't leave, okay?" She wagered, not looking at him.

"Why the hell would I leave…?" He began to demand.

"Don't leave. Please, Shizuo." She cut him off, her tone sharp at first before it softened in pleading.

He exhaled sharply and nodded. "Fine. Just tell me what's been bugging you." He complied, sitting forward with his elbows on his shins, looking at her.

She inhaled before recounting to him of her run-in with Izaya earlier in the day, doing her best to ignore the quiet growls that rumbled in his chest at hearing the name of his enemy.

Releasing a shaky sigh, she looked down at her hands and cracked her knuckles aimlessly. "Do you hate me for it?" She dared wonder.

"No." His growled response earned a brief glance from her; before he knew it, he was headed to the door with his hands fisted at his sides and a murderous vibe reeking off his lanky body.

"Shizuo!" She hurried after him, grabbing the back of his vest and holding fast, his sharp brown stare jerking down at her sending a brief shiver down her spine. "You promised you wouldn't leave." She reminded pointedly.

Heiwajima Shizuo was going to kill that fucking flea if it was the last thing he ever did, _**that much**__ he promised!_

"Then what the hell do you want me to **do**_, _Miku? That bastard has fucked with your life** enough**_, _and if he so much as breathes your name again, I swear I'm going to rip him apart!_" _He nearly shouted, turning and glaring at her as she released his vest.

She fisted her hands at her sides, looking away. "_**I know he has**__!_ …I know, Shizuo. I hate him as much as you do, believe me on that, but I don't want you to get hurt. I know you think I can handle things on my own, that I can be tough, but there's one thing that's my weakness… And that's you. He knows it, too, even when we were in high school… I won't let him get you, Shizuo, no matter what! Please believe me._" _She looked up at him stubbornly, noting that her eyes were starting to get misty.

He fought an involuntary wince at seeing her on the verge of tears, looking away and shutting his eyes tight, exhaling sharply through his nose. "_**Fuck**__." _He spat, stepping forward.

Miku blushed when he yanked her into his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her waist and hold her tightly, possessively, bunching his fingers in her shirt and back of her head. "S-Shizuo…" She murmured in surprise and confusion, quieting when he squeezed slightly and folding her arms around his back, palms flat against the back of his vest.

"You're such an idiot. I swear that I'm not letting him hurt you again. I'm gonna protect you no matter what, you got it?" Shizuo growled, opening his eyes and scowling at the cat lounging on the top of the couch.

She nodded slightly, sliding her eyes closed with a soft huff. "I'm starting to get used to having you around." She mumbled into his vest.

He smirked softly and his fingers in her shirt slackened their grip a little, his arm around her waist squeezing again. "Y'better get used to it because so long as that fucker is alive, I'm sticking by your side to make sure he doesn't weasel his way back." His gruff tone was quieter when he spoke.

She nodded again, smiling to herself. "I'm really starting to love that about you." She sighed.

He felt his cheeks warm. "Keh, shut up." He grumbled, hearing a muffled giggle come from her.

* * *

Geez, maybe that cat was starting to be more of a milk-a-holic than Shizuo.

She scowled slightly at having to buy two packs of those milk bottles, sighing to herself as she loaded the groceries onto her bike, deciding to walk home instead of riding there.

So far her weeks had been free of seeing her ex, which was a relief on both her and the blonde strongman.  
But then again, there were those times where she jinxed herself…

"Why the long face~?" A familiar light voice wondered.

**Like now**.

The scowl deepened slightly. "Don't you have an echelon of hell to rule?" She remarked dryly, gripping the handlebars of her bike on reflex.

He laughed. "Still hung up on the fact that I'm the son of the devil~?" He drawled lightly.

"Just tell me what you're doing in 'Bukuro before I hit you with one of these milk bottles." She grated.  
She had no wish to talk with him, let alone see his slick face, but fate often dealt her the bad hand when it came to Orihara Izaya.

He seemed jovial as always, a side to him that usually annoyed her. "Fine, since you're being so blunt! To tell the truth, I've been scouting."

She briefly lifted a brow. "For what, the next poor unfortunate soul to devour?" She half-joked.

She knew that was part of the reason behind his 'scouting' mission.

_'Scouting', my ass_, she thought. He was up to something and she knew it.

Fuck! Why didn't she know this about him two years ago? It would've saved her a lot of heartbreak…

"Close! But not warm enough, love~." He saw a slight tic in her cheek make the skin twinge before it faded quickly; he smiled widely. "There's a war brewing soon, and Ikebukuro is about to be the battlefield. For all I know, your precious monster is going to be in the crosshairs too. And you too, if you don't clear out now." He explained.

She almost stopped walking.  
"And knowing you, you're the one creating the sparks for the war." She hummed lowly.

He smiled again. "Ding-ding-ding, right on the nose!" Another laugh. "It's a shame you weren't this sharp a few years back, Miku-chan. Would've known I was playing you the whole time~." He sighed as if in lament.

She huffed, sliding her eyes closed. "For once you're right, I coulda cut your damn balls off a lot **sooner**." She drawled.

"Violent as ever, aren't you? Either way, before you try to brain me with those milk bottles you bought for both your cat and Shizu-chan, I have work to get back to; gotta pay the penthouse somehow, neh?" He skirted ahead of her, hands in his pockets with a bounce in his step that instantly irritated his ex.

"Oh, before I forget!" He stopped abruptly, turning slightly to look at her deadpan expression. A wide grin formed on his lips, reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat. "Keep an eye on Shizu-chan tonight. Apparently some members of the Yellow Scarves have some beef with him about that night the "turf fight" went down in South Ikebukuro Park… or should I say, before the said fight? Later, Osaka Prizefighter~!" He waved airily before scampering off back to Shinjuku with that same irritating bounce in his step.

Miku stopped walking this time, scowling at where he'd been standing. "I really hate him." She grated under her breath, continuing to walk home with her bike and groceries in tow.

What did he mean about a war breaking out? Was it between the Dollars and Yellow Scarves? She'd caught bits and pieces of the latest squabbles the two gangs had had out recently while out in public and on the news, but that was the extent of what she knew.

She sighed, elated to see her complex in view.

Maybe she should ask Celty.

Pulling her phone out once reaching her apartment's door and opening it, she lugged the groceries inside and placed them near the door, slipping her boots off and flipping her phone open to text the dullahan.

{_Can I Come Over? Need2 Ask U Something. – Miku ;)_}

"Sorry, Rin, looks like you'll be eating alone tonight." She added to the feline she was pouring the kibble into the bowl for, cracking open one of the bottles of milk and pouring the contents into a spare plastic bowl, putting it on the counter before placing the food down for the cat that came to eat her dinner.

Her phone buzzed.

{_Ya sure, I'll B Here – Celty :D_}

She nodded and sent an 'OK', closing the phone and retreating to the foyer to grab her boots and head out the door.  
'_Keep an eye on Shizu-chan tonight_.'

Just what did he mean by that?

:::::::oO|Oo:::::::

"So that's all you know, then." She guessed.

He smiled lightly. "Yeah, pretty much. Sorry if Celty wasn't here like she told you she would be. She had to run an errand." He replied.

She shrugged and relaxed into the couch, sighing. "It's okay, I've been there."

"Not to change subject, but I'm surprised you didn't try and beat the crap out of Izaya-san." He mused.

"I know, me too, but I know that if he can dodge Shizuo's thrown projectiles or punches with ease, then what chance do I stand? He still pisses me off." She quieted slightly at the mention of her boyfriend, looking at the ceiling as that man's words swam in her head again.

He hadn't answered when she called, so she assumed his phone was off, and she was already at Shinra's apartment so it would be rude and kind of pointless to leave when it was raining outside.

"So he hasn't contacted you at all today." He guessed, stirring her from her thoughts.

She shook her head, sitting forward to pull her phone off the coffee table and flip it open, frowning softly at seeing there was nothing new. "Nope, but if he has his reasons then that's alright. Of course I'm going to brain him tomorrow for not answering." She pouted a little.

Shinra chuckled. "Well for your sake, hopefully he's okay. Izaya-san mentioned something about him getting in the crosshairs, right?" He wondered.

"Yeah, and it pisses me off more knowing that he's involved in this. Izaya involved in something of this caliber means that shit's going to go down, and nine-out-of-ten times it's not good." Miku replied grimly, scowling at the black screen of her phone.

"Don't I know it? Kazamura-chan, if that ever happens, and knowing Izaya-san it eventually will, will you still be there for Shizuo-kun? I mean, I don't mean to pry, but have you two… y'know, recognized that you love each other?" He asked carefully, looking at the blue-eyed girl his old friend had always been soft on, seeing her cheeks color a soft hue of pink.

She smiled a little, brushing strands of hair from her face. "Still as nosy as ever, neh, Shinra-kun?" She jibed gently.

He smiled as well and laughed sheepishly. "I guess things never change, huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

She knew that she cared for Shizuo, a lot, and she loved the qualities about him that most people never saw because his temper got in the way but… did she really love Shizuo?

The doorbell ringing perked her ears; she blinked and looked up as her host straightened to go answer it with a 'be back shortly' over his shoulder.

Who in their right mind was visiting at this hour?

"Goodness gracious, what happened to you!?" The outburst that followed further roused her curiosity.

She stood and went to go be nosy just as Shinra was cartering a wounded Shizuo over his shoulder further into the apartment; her eyes widened alertly and she almost froze.

Both men stopped too, looking at her, though the lankier of the two looked at her in surprise and something she could only assume was shame swimming beneath the surprise on his chiseled face.

"S-Shizuo…" She shook her head fervently and regained her senses. "Shizuo, what happened? You didn't answer my calls or anything…" She trailed off at seeing the blood on his left side and right leg, something inside her gut stirring in anger and revulsion. "Shinra, can you please patch him up? I need to make a call." She asked softly, her phone gripped tight in hand as she shrugged past the two out the door to use her phone in the hall.

"Miku...!" He began to call before the door slammed on his beckon; he looked down and clicked his tongue, hating that expression she'd made before her face blanked, that look on her face that was a mix of anger and fear.

He never wanted to see that look on her face ever again.

She felt tears stinging at her eyes, the tears she could only hope and assume were from her anger that shook her frame as she waited for the person on the other line to answer.

'_Well this is a surprise; you're the last person I expected to get a call from, and at this late hour too~! Whatever could be the problem, Miku-chan…?_'

"Cut the bullshit, you bastard. You knew this was going to happen. **You fucking knew someone was going to hurt him**!" Her voice threatened to crack from her anger she was aiming and pummeling the receiver with, her teeth clenching together.

He sounded like he was suppressing a chuckle, a sound she knew that the next time she saw him, she would beat him into the ground with. '_And what if I did? It's not like you could do anything about it, being so distraught. His name is Horada, if you're so eager to kill him… And he's with the Yellow Scarves, too. You remember Horada, neh, Miku~?_' He drawled.

Her fingers gripped the phone tightly. "I don't need you to tell me what the fuck to do, you slimy piece of rat shit." She growled lowly.

'_Ooh, scary~! You're starting to sound just like Shizu-chan! Tell me something, Miku, since what we had was based on a lie and ended in truth, do you love him?_' His tone was jovial but she could hear the seriousness behind it without even having to see his face.

She growled. "_Don't ever come near him again_." She hissed softly, slamming the phone shut and stowing it in her pocket, retreating inside the apartment.

"Miku, who was that on the phone?" His voice stopped her from grabbing her things and running home, surprising her.

She looked at him as he was getting his wounds treated, seeing the concern swimming in his eyes behind the blue shades, curiosity mixed in with the concern; her shoulders slumped slightly and she shook her head. "Noone. Just some debt collector." She lied quietly, smiling.

He scowled slightly and sighed, looking away. "It doesn't feel as bad as it looks, y'know. Don't make that face, either." He admitted, perking her ears.

She nodded, looking at the bloody cotton balls Shinra used to stop the bleeding, fighting a cringe and stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets. "Did the Yellow Scarves do this to you?" She asked softly.

Shizuo looked up at the name, looking at her downcast expression. "Yeah, how did you…?"

"Shinra, you've got him stabilized, right?" Miku looked at her friend, seeing him nod and look at her with a brief smile before returning to his work; she exhaled slowly. "Izaya ran into me earlier, on my way home from the store, and he mentioned something about the Yellow Scarves having beef with you about what happened a few weeks ago in the park… Remember, you beat the shit out of that guy with the blonde hair…?" She looked at him, seeing the curled-lip expression he donned at the mention of his old enemy, lowering her gaze. "Either way, he knew you were going to get hit." She murmured.

He loathed that fucking flea a thousand times more, now, especially since he told her all that shit… He snorted and glared at the far window. "That bastard is dead the next time I see him, him and the same fuckers that did this, and their leader too, Kida Masaomi!" He vowed lowly.

"Kida-kun?" She blinked at hearing the meek-sounding voice, looking to see the same bespectacled girl from the Saika incident, noting the concerned look in her garnet eyes; she tilted her head to one side. "You're Sonohara-san, right? Celty told me about you… I'm Miku." She introduced calmly, flashing a kind smile.

The girl nodded and smiled slightly. "Oh, right, you're from before… Thanks for saving me." She bowed a little out of respect before the concerned look returned to her face. "Um, I've gotta go. Thank you again, Kishitani-san!" She added before rushing out the door.

"E-eh, Anri-chan, wait! Damn it… Please look after Shizuo-kun!" Shinra complained, hurrying after the girl quickly and slamming the door shut behind his leave.

Both of them sweatdropped.

She looked at him and his wounds, wincing a little. "Are you mad at me?" She asked quietly.

He snorted and looked away. "No, I'm not. It's not your fault he talked to you… That's who was on the phone, wasn't it? That flea." He guessed as she came forward to lean over the back of the couch he sat on.

She nodded. "Yeah, it was him. I… I was pissed off and he was the only one responsible for this shit so he was the one person I called. God, I hate him." She drooped her head onto her crumpled fists, looking down.

"Sorry you had to see me like this." He grumbled.

She sighed and lifted her head up to straighten her posture and flashed a brief smile.  
"**YOU IDIOT**!"

**_THWACK_**.

"**OW, FUCK**!" He barked, lifting his hands to rub his new injury gingerly, grimacing from the pain.

She threw her arms around him, surprising the blonde and making him grimace again from the open wounds.  
He began to open his mouth and berate her before seeing her shoulders shaking; he quieted reluctantly and lifted his hands to bunch in her jacket, holding her close. "Dummy, you'll get your shirt all bloody." He scolded softly.

"Like I care. I… I was really worried about you, Shizuo… I shoulda gone to find you, and prolly spared you from having to deal with this." She sniffled, resting her cheek against his neck.

His hands gripped her jacket reflexively. "Then what the hell would be the point of me protecting you? You're an idiot too, y'know, especially to think I'd let some hacks from the Yellow Scarves ever lay a finger on the woman I love." He felt her freeze slightly against him at hearing that last bit, his cheeks blazing pink once the awkward silence soaked in.

"Y…you love me?" She murmured, thinking back to the earlier conversation with her ex.

'_Do you love him?_'

"Yeah, I do." He replied quietly.

She smiled softly and nuzzled her cheek into his neck, holding onto him. "I love you too." She admitted in the same tone.

He smirked gently and hugged her tightly, running his free hand through her hair. "Can I ask you to do me a favor?" He wondered, perking her ears.

She lifted a brow. "Shoot."

* * *

**the fic is winding down, folks. sorry for it being so short! ^^; either way, before it finishes drop a review if y'want. thanks~ ;'D**

****side note: as the great philosopher Heiwajima Shizuo put, "_only pussies run away!_" xDD gotta love him~.**


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